//------------------------------// // Secrets // Story: An Affliction of the Heart // by Anonymous Pegasus //------------------------------// Kuno sighed happily and stretched out in the warm water of the tub, enjoying the way the bubbles tickled against her chitin as the popped. Even as a fully-grown, adult, serious, capable-of-murder changeling, she still loved her bubble baths with a childish intensity. “I’m going into town now,” Warden said as he walked past the bathroom door. The pegasus did a double take, leaning back around the doorway to peer in at the changeling. Kuno turned to look up at him, a smattering of bubbles across her face and chin. She had a full beard and mane comprised entirely of bubbles, looking like an old pony gone grey. “What?” Kuno asked with a single blink. “Nothing,” Warden said, turning away and then continuing towards the front door, adjusting the strap of his carry bag. Kuno hummed to herself as she rubbed at her chitin with the sponge. She had always enjoyed baths of any kind, and especially loved showers. There was something therapeutic about getting her chitin nice and clean, not to mention that it wasn’t exactly often that she got to bathe in her natural form. Her lazing however, was interrupted by a curt knock at the door. Kuno stiffened, her eyes widening. Her first thought was to answer the door, and then she remembered that she was in full changeling form, and that Warden lived alone. It couldn’t be Warden at the door, he had left only recently, and he certainly wouldn’t knock on the door before entering his own house. Frowning deeply, Kuno carefully slipped out of the tub, dripping all over the bathroom floor, and then in the hallway as well. The knocking at the door came again. She morphed the end of her hooves as she walked, to something resembling paws, allowing her to pad down the hallway soundlessly. Once in Warden’s room, she quietly closed the door behind herself, and then eyed his walk-in cupboard. The front door exploded inwards, banging against the wall as a shower of wood splinters scattered into the hallway from the ruined latching mechanism. The three ponies, dressed in leather armor and carrying short, wicked-looking daggers in their hooves, walked calmly in through the ruined front door. “Spread out. Check the cupboards. He’d likely not keep it all in a visible place,” the pegasus who appeared to be the leader said. The two burly earth ponies behind him nodded and then began to search the rooms, beginning with the bathroom and the lounge room. “Oi, boss! What if there’s somepony home?” one of the earth ponies called. “Aint no one here. We knocked on the door, no answer,” The pegasus said with a flippant shrug, heading for the kitchen and beginning to open cupboards. He didn’t bother closing them: a ransacking. Eventually, all that was left was Warden’s room. The door was opened, and the three ponies stepped inside. While one of the earth ponies pushed Warden’s mattress off the bed, checking underneath it, the other stepped over to the walk-in wardrobe, throwing the doors open. Kuno-Warden leapt out of the cupboard, brandishing his spear in a wide arc and crying out. “What’re you doing in my home?!” Kuno hefted the spear as expertly as she could, trying not to look as though she was new to it. In truth, she had taken lessons, and was quite proficient in it and in hoof-to-hoof combat. But she didn’t want to go taking on three armed opponents by herself. Warden’s form was larger than her own, and her—his new wings were heavy and felt awkward. It had been a while since Kuno had taken the form of a pegasus. The pegasus laughed faintly, looking Kuno up and down. She had Warden’s form, his armor, and his spear. And he wasn’t even bothered. “Ahhh, if it isn’t our favorite failure of a guard. Where’s the produce, Warden? If you give it up without a fight, we might not even put you in the hospital,” the pegasus said, his tone silky. “I’d much prefer if you just left,” Kuno said, her mind working furiously. Product? They wanted Warden’s plants? “Where is it, Warden?” the pegasus asked flatly, while the two earth ponies stepped up on either side of him, drawing their daggers. Kuno took a step back, holding her spear out in front of her carefully, keeping the tip between her and the ponies. “I-it’s uhm... in the spare room, behind the mirror.” The pegasus nodded, and then jerked his head towards the door. One of the earth ponies nodded and then slipped out. It was several long, uncomfortable moments spent in silent glaring before the pony came back. “Uh boss... not quite sure how to get past it.” “Smash it,” the pegasus ordered calmly. “Tried that, it’s solid,” the pony said curtly. The boss pegasus growled and then turned on his hooves. “You, come with me,” he said commandingly, motioning towards the transformed changeling. Kuno warily followed after him, keeping the spear between herself and the other three “Open the mirror,” the pegasus said curtly, standing in the doorway of the room. The two earth ponies had moved in to stand beside the mirror, waiting for her. Kuno looked between them all, and then shook her head. “Actually,” She never finished her sentence. With a quick twist of her body, she brought the end of the spear down on the back of the pegasus’ head, sending him crashing to the floor, stunned. Before the two earth ponies could reach the door, Kuno had kicked the pegasus inside and then slammed the door closed, throwing the deadbolt. The sound of bashing at the door greeted Kuno’s ears, and she removed the helmet, letting her form drop back to normal as she peered at the locked door, ignoring the pounding from the other side. Warden had a lot to explain when he got back. Warden sighed as he pushed open his door, groaning faintly at the weight of his backpack and dropping it off his back, pushing it through the door. He didn’t even notice the broken latch. The sight of Kuno standing in the hallway met him, the changeling wearing his armor, sans the helmet, and holding a spear. Warden blinked slowly, taking a step backwards. “Uhhh...” “You had visitors,” Kuno stated simply, motioning towards the door to the room that had been her prison. The pegasus blinked once, looking confused and concerned. “Visitors? And you locked them up?!” “They kinda broke in,” Kuno said, pointing at the door with a hoof. “Ransacked the place, looking for product. What aren’t you telling me, Warden?” Warden’s ears pinned back at that, and his head lowered, mumbling, “It’s nothing...” “Ponies don’t break into your home for nothing,” Kuno stated with a slow shake of her head. “What is it?” “I...” Warden trailed off, biting his bottom lip, hanging his head in shame. “I grow Aurora for them...” Kuno blinked once. “Aurora? Sunflower?” she asked, slowly shaking her head. Aurora was a notoriously hard to grow creeping flower that was well known for its hallucinogenic effects. It was mainly used a recreational drug, and because of the difficulty in growing it, it was expensive. “You’re a drug dealer,” Kuno stated flatly. Warden looked up sharply, his tone turning sullen. “That implies that I get paid for it.” “You grow it for free?” Kuno asked in disbelief. “Selling drugs is pretty stupid, but giving them away is dangerous levels of moronic.” The pegasus looked away, and then gave a defeated sigh. “I don’t want to grow it... they force me to. They... they put me in hospital last time I told them no... and the last time I didn’t tend the plant and it withered...” “And then they come breaking your door down when they want their stuff?” Kuno asked flatly. “Well... no. They usually send someone around to beat me up a bit and ‘remind’ me of my ‘obligations’,” Warden admitted with a slow shake of his head. Head lowered in shame, the pegasus pushed past the changeling, moving towards the kitchen. He opened a cupboard there, and then stared into it. Kuno moved after him, peeking over his shoulder. She blinked once, realising that the cupboard must have been right in line with the mirror in her prison room. She could see through to the room, where one of the earth ponies was trying his best to stab his dagger into the magic mirror, with little success. “They’re not the usual ones. Daggertail won’t be happy that they’re trying to muscle in on his business...” Warden murmured. “I know them... they used to be part of the royal guard but they got kicked out for their actions in regards to confiscating illicit materials. Seems they’d confiscate half and steal the rest. I guess they’re moving up in the world...” “What’re you gonna do about them?” Kuno asked, watching Warden intently. “I... I don’t know. If I go to the guard, they might tell the guard what I’ve been doing... and even though I’m being forced, I don’t want to take the chance that they’d believe me...” Warden said, hanging his head again. “And to think you were in the royal guard!” Kuno growled, shaking her head and sighing once. She turned, and then started to head for the door leading to the prison. “What’re you doing?!” Warden hissed, moving after her. Kuno looked back at him a moment, before a flash of green enveloped her and she changed. A pegasus and two earth ponies careened down the path as fast as their hooves could carry them, looking fearfully back over their shoulders as Princess Luna herself stood in the doorway of the house, staring at their retreating forms. It was several long moments before Kuno let her changes drop, and then dissolved into breathless giggles. “Oh wow... did you see their faces?!” Kuno squeaked as Warden eased up to her, looking chagrined. “Yeah... you scared the wits out of them... what did you even do?” Warden queried, looking down at her. Kuno grinned up at him goofily. “I told them that I’d spent a thousand years on the moon pondering on exactly what I would do to a scum drug-dealer if I ever got my hooves on them.” “Well... thanks,” Warden said uncomfortably. “Do you want lunch?” Kuno snorted, turning to face him, and then narrowing her eyes, sobering. “We still have to talk about this whole Aurora business.” Warden splayed his ears back. “T-they’ll hurt me if I stop...” “Oh grow a backbone colt! You’re a royal guard for crying out loud!” Kuno said, exasperated. “Turn them in to the guard! You can even do it anonymously!” “They have friends in the royal guard. They’ve got contacts everywhere... It’s just... It’s easier to just do what they say. Then I don’t get hurt,” Warden said, unconsciously rubbing a hoof against his right shoulder and shuddering. “What did they do to you?” Kuno asked, softening. Warden hung his head, sighing helplessly. “They injected me with a toxin. It’s from the Yellow Banded Cobra in the Everfree, or at least, that’s what they told me. It took a while for the pain to start... They tied me down and let me struggle. Waited until I was begging them to stop, and then gave me the antidote. Told me that if I didn’t grow the plant for them, they’d be stopping around with another dose... but they wouldn’t be bringing any antidote.” Kuno frowned deeply at that, pursing her lips. “You need to stand up to them,” Kuno said, stamping her hoof firmly. “I tried that!” Warden growled, shaking his head and then looking away. “They broke my ankle! Told me they’d do the other one if I ever told them ‘no’ again. Maybe it’s easy for you, you can just run away from all your problems. I can’t just wave my hoof and be somepony else. I’m stuck like this,” the pegasus said, turning and walking away from her without another word. Kuno just stared after him, looking sad.